[SECC] Promotion of GQP 2008

Hello all:
Probably we should have some more organized promotion of the Georgia QSO
Party than we have had in recent years. There are four areas that I
used to promote the GQP in the 1960s through the 1980s when it was quite
successful without tremendous mobile participation, which has been the
heart of since the 1999 revival.
1. Hamfest flyer promotion. Handing out and making available at booths
flyers for the upcoming GQP. Certainly the Kennehoochee hamfest takes
place before GQP, as it is in March. There may be one or two others.
We should have some promotinal flyers available and in the hands of club
attendees to be handed out as we meet people there and there should be a
stack of them at the SEDXC table.
2. On-the-air promotion. This can only be organized by announcements
on nets. A brief, enthusiastic announcement to be made on local 2M nets
and on 75/80M traffic and emergency and ragchew nets can be very
effective. I used to be active on all of the 75M nets, but am not any
more. I can certainly send out a "QNC" (all net stations copy) message
on the GSN and GTN CW nets in the weeks before the contest. Do we have
any members who could do the same for the Ga SSB net, the GA Tfc and
Emergency Net, the Ga Cracker Net, the Georgia Traffic Net (SSB), and
other 75M nets? Same for large metropolitan 2M nets? I guess I could
do it on the Sunday morning (only) Cracker net of which I am still a
member after almost 53 years. Otherwise, everyone should talk it up on
the air, particularly with other GA stations.
3. I used to send personal letters to hams that I knew had stations and
could be on the air from counties that were not usually represented in
GQP. I don't think this is necessary and the cost of such letters is
much greater than in the past. A few well chosen letters might help. I
even got K4EWG on for a GQP once. In place of letters, we could have
some e-mails sent on a personal basis. Jeff, KU8E, and I have done a
bit of this in the past. You have to be careful in sending out e-mails
to a list as your server may limit the number of addressees. Probably
NE4S could provide a list of calls of stations in state and out of state
that have participated in GQPs for which he has records. We could try
to get their current e-mail addresses off QRZ.COM or other such data
bases and send out e-mails reminding of the current GQP, any rule
changes, any known mobile or portable operations, special awards, etc.
and encouraging participation.
4. I used to have a short version of the rules (usually prepared for
the ARRL Contest Corral, which no longer summarizes rules of contests)
that I would insert in envelopes with QSLs or other correspondence going
to GA and non-GA hams for months before the GQP. As a QSL manager and
active ham, I send out a lot of envelopes to other hams and inclusion of
a GQP flyer would be very little trouble and might help activity. Other
QSL managers (N4XP and other DXers) could do the same once we have a
short version of the rules that could be dowloaded and printed.
We have tried to get out information to all the clubs in the state in
past years based on a list kept by Susan, AF4FO, the GA SM. This should
continue. Most clubs have shown very little interest, but it is
possible that this has gotten word out to some individual club members
that has helped participation.
Of course, we need to continue to encourage mobile participation from
hams inside and outside GA. Outside GA hams should be encouraged to
come to GA and give out counties. This year, we might actually get
activity from all 159 counties. Last year we came very close to that
goal.
Anyone who can help with any phase of the promotion campaign should let
Mike, NE4S, know and should post it and any other ideas to the reflectors.
Happy holidays to all. 73, John, K4BAI.